S&S's Stan Checketts at the 2007 No Coaster Con

This footage was recorded on January 27th, 2007 during the No Coaster Con event held by the American Coaster Enthusiast. One of the final presenters of the day was S&S's Stan Checketts, a man that honestly didn't need an introduction as everyone in the room stayed to hear him chat . As you can tell as you watch the video, Stan was a very unique person and a great storyteller. Unfortunately, Stan passed away on January 2nd, 2022. His mark on the amusement industry will be heard forever.
#stanchecketts
#ripstandchecketts
#s&spower
#s&s
#dodonpa
#ridewithace
#americancoasterenthusiast
#nocoastercon
Image of Stan at the end of the video, courtesy of legacy.com

[@KentuckianaCoasters]

Thanks for uploading Sean, this was absolutely wonderful to watch!

[@thekurtmagirt]

I worked with Stan at S&S for almost 9 years and then at Soaring Eagle for 4 years. I've know Stan for half my life and he's the one who personally hired me and gave me a chance to chase my dream. He was my mentor and friend. I still and will always miss him. Even now, I get choked up writing this because the memories I had with him. Almost 15 years of stories and memories that will forever be with me.

[@SeanFlaharty]

Thank you for sharing. I only had the chance to meet Stan twice. The first was on the media day for Skyhawk at Cedar Point. I told him my favorite coaster was Dodonpa in Japan and he told me some funny stories about it. He was definitely a living legend in the industry and his ideas will continue to thrill folks for decades to come.

[@thekurtmagirt]

@@SeanFlaharty That’s really cool, I was there that day as well. I helped install and test the Skyhawk.

[@SeanFlaharty]

@@thekurtmagirt That's really cool. I wonder if you are in the footage I recorded that day. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jYG6pnePhal_m8k

[@thekurtmagirt]

@@SeanFlaharty Not that I could see. I'm sure I was hanging out somewhere lol. I was pretty worn out. The testing and install of the pistons took a while.

[@OakViewFilms]

I'm really saddened to hear about the passing of Stan. I remember when the first prototype for their Air Launched Coaster was unvieled in 2000 (Thrust Air 2000). I remember thinking it was the most batshit insane thrill ride I ever witnessed, and I knew that whoever designed it was no normal man. Stan was anything but typical. He was the ultimate thrillseeker - a man who lived life on the edge, and wanted to share that thrillseeking enthusiasm with the world. Besides that, he was an incredible individual, always full of charisma and willing to talk to people interested in his designs. One quote by him in particular stood out - "if I wanted to design a ride for everyone, well, that already exist. It's called an elevator". Godspeed, Stan. Keep em thrilling up there!

[@SeanFlaharty]

I couldn’t have said this better.

[@UberBeavis]

I am so grateful to get to spend a tiny bit of time with him and I'll always be thankful for how he and his company pushed the industry so well for a bit of time.

[@SeanFlaharty]

He was an original. I only met him twice and the second time was just saying hello. I am very thankful for his ideas and truly raising the bar on intensity.

[@davec5090]

The one and only time that I seen Stan in person was at the 2009 No Coaster Con. Back then, I was relatively new in ACE, and it was my first ACE event.

[@hafzakakitchen2267]

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